Laura Thornhill | August 10, 2022 | Updated on: March 4th, 2024
There are many different types of bets in craps. You can find the best craps bets with great odds and payouts here. We explain all the different craps bets and the best craps bets for beginners. Craps has a lot of bets, and at times beginners may think it’s a difficult game. Our guide to betting in craps explains the various bets in craps for beginners. You will soon know how to bet in craps and if you already know your craps bets, then we will improve your craps betting strategy.
There are more than 25 different bets in craps. Some fall into broad categories like field bets, line bets, single roll bets, hard ways and odds bets. Some bets can only be placed after a point is set. The most common bets you will hear about in craps are Pass and Don’t Pass bets and Come and Don’t Come bets too.
Best Craps Bets for Beginners
The truth is that all craps bets are bets that even beginners can make. But we understand anything unfamiliar will always be overwhelming to a new player, especially when you play craps for real money. So we will begin with what may be called the opening bets in a craps game Pass and Don’t Pass Line Bets. We will also explain the Come and Don’t Come Bets.
Pass Line Bet
The Pass line is one of the basic craps bets you need to know. It’s a simple bet, one of two, that is made before the come-out roll.
A pass line bet wins when the dice roll outcome is 7 or 11. It’s an automatic loss when the result is 2, 3 or 12. Any other number result is a point that now becomes the basis for the next bets until the betting round ends.
After the point is set, the Pass Line bet wins when the point number is rolled before a 7, and the loses when a 7 is rolled first before the point number.
Don’t Pass Line Bet
The “Don’t Pass Line” bet is the opposite of the “Pass Line” bet. It, too, is an opening bet, placed before the come-out roll. Don’t Pass Line wins when the come-out roll results are 2 or 3 and loses when a 7 or 11 is rolled. A result of 12 is neither a win nor a loss, it’s a push, and you get your wager back.
After the point is set, a Don’t Pass bet wins when a 7 is rolled before the point number.
Come Bet Craps
A come bet is like a Pass Line bet that you place after the come-out roll and after a point has already been established.
The Come bet wins if the first roll after the point is set, is a 7 or 11. If the result of a roll after the point is set is 2, 3, or 12, the Come bet loses.
In a fun twist, if any other number is rolled, it becomes a point for the come bet. That means your Come bet is still in play and will win if the come bet point that has just been set rolls again immediately next. After the come bet point is set, the come bet will lose if a 7 is rolled first before the come bet point.
The betting round for the come bet ends when the bet wins or loses.
Don’t Come Bet Craps
The Don’t Come bet is like a Don’t Pass Line bet that is placed after the first point is set after a come-out roll.
A Don’t Come Bet is a reverse wager of a bet and wins when a 2 or 3 is rolled and loses when a 7 or 11 is rolled.
A new point is set when any other number is rolled, and the Don’t Come bet stays in play for the next roll. If the next roll after the new point is set is the new point, the Don’t Come bet loses. The Don’t Come bet wins when a 7 is rolled immediately after the point for the Don’t Come is set.
Craps players will often refer to craps bets by the category name like a line bet, which refers to bets like Pass, Don’t Pass, Come and Don’t Come Bets. Then there are prop bets which are several different bets with various outcomes. You only need to play craps to familiarise yourself with these different types of craps bets.
There is no need to memorise craps bets because essentially every craps bet is a bet on a number. The names given to these bets are neither here nor there; you can easily play craps without knowing the names of the bets, especially when you play online craps. You click on the online craps table to choose the number you want to bet on. Let’s get into some craps bets.
Field Bet Craps
A field bet wins and pays even money when a 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11 are rolled. You can get double the payout when a 2 or 12 is rolled because then a field bet pays out 2:1. The field bet loses when the result of the dice roll is 5, 6, 7 or 8.
The field bet is a wager always settled in a single roll, unlike Come and Don’t Come bets which stay active for multiple rolls until the bet wins or loses.
Craps Place Bets
There are two kinds of place bets – a Place Win and Place Lose bet. Both these bets are placed only when the point is set after a come-out roll. A place bet is a wager on one of the following individual numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. The player must choose one of these numbers and make a place win or lose bet.
A place-win bet wins when the chosen number is rolled again before 7 rolls.
The place-lose bet is the opposite of a place-win bet and wins if a 7 rolls before the chosen number.
Craps Buy Bet
Like a Place Win bet, a buy bet is a wager that a specific number will roll before a 7. The difference is a buy bet pays true odds, so the payout is much higher. Be that as it may, the casino will charge a 5% commission on that bet. Some casinos charge the commission upfront with the wager, while others only take the commission if the bet wins, significantly reducing the edge on this bet.
Lay Bet Craps
The Lay bet is the opposite of the buy bet. You choose a specific number, and your wager is that a 7 will roll before the number you have picked. So, in that way, it is similar to a Place Lose. The difference is in the payouts – the lay bet offers higher payouts, but there is a 5% commission on this bet.
Odds Bets Craps
Odds bets are complementary side bets that have no house edge. Complementary because an odds bet is always based on one of the following bets Pass Line, Don’t Pass, Come and Don’t Come bets. Essentially, an odds bet is you paying for getting a true odds payout on one of those four bets. Odds bets are placed after the point is established.
Because odds bets have no house edge, casinos limit how much you can bet, and the limit varies from casino to casino.
Pass line odds payout when the point is rolled before the 7 rolls. The payout depends on the point number. Placing a pass line odds bet is also called “Taking the odds”.
Don’t Pass line odds payout when 7 rolls before the point; this bet’s payout depends on the point number.
Come and Don’t Come odds work like Come and Don’t Come bets. The only difference is that they pay out true odds. The payout also depends on the point.
Odds Bets Payouts
Bets and Payouts
Point
Pass Line Odds
Don’t Pass Line Odds
Come odds
Don’t Come odds
4 or 10
2:1
1:2
2:1
1:2
5 or 9
3:2
2:3
3:2
2:3
6 or 8
6:5
5:6
6:5
5:6
CE Bet Craps
The AC and E bet, also known as the CE bet or Any Craps and Eleven bet, is a simultaneous wager on any craps and eleven. So C&E bet wins when 2, 3, 12, or 11 is rolled. The CE bet pays out differently depending on the number rolled. This wager has 5:1 odds and just over 11% house edge.\
A result of 2,3 or 12 pays out 3 to 1
When 11 is rolled, the CE bet pays out 7 to 1.
Hardways
A hardways bet is a bet that pays out when a number is rolled as a double. Hardways are only valid on the following even numbers 4, 6, 8 and 10. The player chooses one of the numbers and makes a hard bet, e.g., a “Hard 6” that will payout only when each dice shows a three.
Craps Betting Rules – How to Bet in Craps
Knowing how to bet in craps is about knowing when to bet, where to place your chips and the house edge. Some bets can only be made before or after certain events; for instance, Come bets can only be made after the point is set after the come-out roll.
Craps Table Puck
The puck on the craps table also indicates when bets can be placed. When the puck on the table says off, it means the point has not been set, so you can place Pass and Don’t Pass bets.
Placing Chips on the Craps Table
When betting, you place your chips on the appropriate section on the table. Remember, the craps table has all the bets you can place written on it in clearly marked sections.
House Edge and Commission on Craps Bets
Betting well in craps means choosing bets with a favourable edge and good odds for you. Some bets may have great pay-outs and good odds, but they have high commissions like Odds bets. Other bets may pay out differently depending on the point number; case in point, odds bets pay-outs are different depending on the point number.
Craps Bets FAQs
How many different bets are there in craps?
There are more than 25 different bets in craps.
What is the best bet to make in craps?
The best bet in craps is a bet with a low house edge and good odds like a Prop bet, Pass, Don’t Pass, Come and Don’t Come bet.
What is Snake Eyes in dice?
Snake eyes in dice games like craps is a roll outcome of two because each dice has one dot on it and resembles a snake’s eyes.
What is AC and E bet in craps?
The AC and E bet in craps is a bet that combines the “any craps” and “yo eleven” bets; it pays out when a 2, 3, 12, or 11 is rolled.
What is the big 6/8 bet in craps?
The big 6/8 bet is a bet that pays out when a 6 or 8 is rolled before a 7.
Is the field a good bet in craps?
The field bet has a lower house edge compared to bets that offer higher payouts. It’s a wager on multiple outcomes, so the probability of winning is greater than other single roll bets.
